Heat Transfer from Extended Surfaces

15MEC312

Heat Transfer

SIVANESAN M
 Fin Equation
Fin Equation

The general solution of the differential equation

Boundary Condition at fin base

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 Infinitely Long Fin
Boundary Condition at fin base

Boundary Condition at tip

Variation of temperature along the fin

Steady Rate of Heat Transfer from the fin

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 Adiabatic fin tip
Boundary Condition at fin base

Boundary Condition at tip

Variation of temperature along the fin

Steady Rate of Heat Transfer from the fin

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 Specified Temperature
Boundary Condition at fin base

Boundary Condition at tip

Variation of temperature along the fin

Steady Rate of Heat Transfer from the fin

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 Convection from Fin Tip
Boundary Condition at fin base

Boundary Condition at tip

Variation of temperature along the fin

Steady Rate of Heat Transfer from the fin

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 Fin Efficiency

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 Efficiencies of Common Fin Configurations

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 Efficiencies of Common Fin Configurations

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 Effectiveness
➢ Fins are used to enhance heat transfer
➢ There is no assurance that adding fins on a surface will enhance heat transfer
➢ The performance of fins is expressed in terms of the fin effectiveness,

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 Effectiveness
➢ An effectiveness of 𝜀𝑓𝑖𝑛 = 1 indicates that the addition of fins to the surface
does not affect heat transfer at all. That is, heat conducted to the fin through
the base area Ab is equal to the heat transferred from the same area Ab to the
surrounding medium.
➢ An effectiveness of 𝜀𝑓𝑖𝑛 < 1 indicates that the fin actually acts as insulation,
slowing down the heat transfer from the surface. This situation can occur when
fins made of low thermal conductivity materials are used.
➢ An effectiveness of 𝜀𝑓𝑖𝑛 > 1 indicates that fins are enhancing heat transfer from
the surface, as they should. However, the use of fins cannot be justified unless
𝜀𝑓𝑖𝑛 is sufficiently larger than 1.

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 Consideration in the design and selection of the fins
➢ The thermal conductivity k of the fin material should be as high as possible.
Thus it is no coincidence that fins are made from metals, with copper,
aluminum, and iron being the most common ones.
➢ The ratio of the perimeter to the cross-sectional area of the fin p/Ac should be
as high as possible. This criterion is satisfied by thin plate fins and slender pin
fins.
➢ The use of fins is most effective in applications involving a low convection heat
transfer coefficient.

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 Area Calculation

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 Problem 1
A 15-cm x 20-cm integrated circuit board is to be cooled
by attaching 4-cm long aluminum (k = 237 W/m∙K) fins on
one side of it. Each fin has a 2-mm x 2-mm square cross
section. The surrounding ambient temperature is 25°C
and the convection heat transfer coefficient on each fin
surface is 20 W/m2∙K. To prevent the circuit board from
overheating, the upper surface of the circuit board needs
to be at 85°C or cooler. Design a finned surface having the
appropriate number of fins, with an overall effectiveness
of 3 that can keep the circuit board surface from
overheating.

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